Toy gun.



PATENTED APR. 26, 1904.

J. B. MASON.

TOY GUN.

AIPPLIOATION FILED DEO.1, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

N0 MODEL.

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PATENTBD APR. 26, 1904.

J. B. MASON.

TOY GUN. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 1, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

2 SHBETB-SHBET 2.

Patented April 26, 1904.

UNTTED STATES ATENT Trice.

JOHN B. MASON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE CHICAGO TOY NOVELTY COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TOY GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,374, dated April 26, 1904.

Application filed December 1, 1902. Seria1'No.133,475. (N model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN B. MAsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Toy Guns, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved toy gun adapted to explode a paper percussion-cap or other fulminate or the like and project a rubber ball or similar harmless missile.

My object is to provide a toy gun for children having the appearance and the main characteristics in suitable modified form of the rifles or fowling-pieces employed by adults, but whiclnwhile capable of exploding the fulminate with a loud report and driving a light missile many feet, will be a harmless toy and free from any danger of injury to the user.

It is also my object to provide such a toy gun of a comparatively strong, durable, attractive, and inexpensive construction.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan, and Fig. 2 a side elevation, of the toy gun; Fig. 3, the same folded for packing or shipment; Fig. 4, an enlarged broken longitudinal section at the breech portion of the gun; Fig. 5, a similar View of the same parts swung open to the loading position, and Fig. 6 a broken section on line 6 in Fig. 5.

A is the stock of the gun; B, the gun-barrel; C, the hammer, and D the trigger.

The barrel B near its end toward the breech is provided in its upper side with an opening (0. Between the said opening and the breech end of the barrel is a plug E, having a reduced backward-extending cylindrical portion 6. At its forward'end the plug presents an inner annular surface or pocket 0, back of which is a concave 'surface (Z. Extending through the plug is an opening 6 f, the part c forming an explosion-chamber and the part f being somewhat greater in diameter than the part 6 to form the shoulder -g. Driven into the opening f and fitting firmly against the shoulder g is an anvil h of spider form, presenting a central anvil part with openings around it, as indicated. In the upper side of the part is a cap-insertion slot 2'. Fitting loosely in the opening f is a plunger F, provided with a flange 7c. The barrel is held at its end toward the breech in a breech-casing G, having an under part Z, corresponding with what is generally called the stock-pit of a gun, where it is grasped by the hand in firing, an enlarged part Z, containing a trigger-slot Z and a cylindrical or band portion m, extending over the barrel. The part m is cut away over the opening a to form a socket n. The part G presents cheeks p q, as indi-.

cated in Fig. 6, the cheek 39 extending to a plane slightly higher than the cheek q and presenting a shoulder 1 The hammer C is upon a pin 8, journaled in the cheeks 10 On the stock A is a hollow metal grip portion H, cut away on its under side, as shown at t, and having a short slot at in its upper side. The part H, which constitutes what may be termed the breech-housing, straddles the part G, and the two parts are pivotally secured together by means of a shaft 4), on which the trigger D is mounted. Extending forward from the grip portion of the breech: housing H is a guard portion I, shaped to fit the socket n of the part G and cover the opening a. is the trigger-spring, wthe main or hammer spring, and w a stop-pin for the spring at when the gun is folded.

In operation to load the gun the parts are swung to the position shown in Fig. 5 to lift the guard I from the opening a and give access to the slot 2'. In the movement of the parts from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 5 the forward edge of. the slot or opening it engages the hammer and swings it backward until caught and held by the trigger. The plunger F is then slid backward until the flange it engages the shoulder 1*, which latter limits the outward movement of the plunger. A rubber or cork ball K is then passed through the opening a and pressed into the concave pocket formed by the surface (Z. The ball should fit the pocket close enough to be retained thereby when pressed into position. A paper cap is then passed through the slot or opening '5 and the plunger kmoved inward to press the cap against the anvil h. The breech-housing and stock portion is'then swung upon the pivot o to close the guard I against the slotted part a, when the gun is ready forfiring. A pull upon the trigger D releases the hammer, causing it to strike the plunger F and explode the cap against the anvil h. The plunger fits the opening f so closely that all gaseous products of the explosion of the cap must pass through the openings in the anvil to the explosion-chamber e, where they expand against the ball K and drive it outward through the barrel.

The face (Z of the plug a presents a concavity describing an arc of less diameter than the barrel B, and the opening a may be onlylarge enough to receive a ball K of less diameter than the barrel and fitting the face d. It is necessary that the ball shall be of slightly less diameter than the bore of the barrel, and by constructing the plug E with a face d capable only of holding a ball of less diameter than the bore of the barrel nothing but a ball such as the rubber or cork balls provided with the guns can be successfully discharged. This will prevent the child from loading the gun with articles which if projected by the explosion might do injury.

By having the shank of the plunger F fit reasonably closely in the part f and providing the flange/L on the plunger there is no danger ofany particles of the cap flying out of the gun in any direction but through the barrel when an explosion takes place. Thus there is no danger of the childs burning its fingers or having particles of the fulminating-cap reach its eye or work other injury. The barrel may be formed in any inexpensive manner and need not necessarily be seamless, and the parts G H may be stamped out of sheet metal. As the gun presents very few parts, it may be quickly assembled, and the parts themselves being very cheap toconstruct the gun as a whole is inexpensive to manufacture. The engagement of the flange 7a with the shoulder r prevents the plunger F from slipping out when the gun is opened. In order that the plunger may be removed when it is desired to clean the anvil, I provide a notch 3/ in the flange 70. By turning the plunger to a position wherein the notch y registers with the shoulder r the plunger may be withdrawn.

The ball K may be placed in position by passing it into the muzzle of the barrel B and pressing it into the seat cl with a ramrod, thus While the opening a is desirable it may be dis: pensed with.

It will be noticed that the arm 2 of the hammer is made long and curved at its under side for the spring to act against. When the gun is folded, as shown in Fig. 3, the hammerspring rests against the stop 00 in position to slide under the part 2 of the hammer when the parts are turned into operative position.

The folding feature is a desirable and important one.

On the cheek q of the breech-casing G is a slight convex projection q, and registering therewith when the gun is closed is a shallow socket g in the inner face of one side of the breech housing H, whereby the socket g springs over the projection q and locks the parts together when the gun is closed.

The guard or cover I for the ball-insertion opening a prevents products of combustion from flying out of said opening when the cap is exploded and is closed by the act of making the gun ready for firing. This construction insures thorough closing of the opening a before the gun can be fired and operates as a safeguard against danger of the childs hand being burned by products of combustion flying through the opening a.

While I prefer to construct my invention throughout substantially as shown and described, it may be variously modified in the matter of details of construction without departing from the'spirit of my invention as defined by the claims.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a toy gun, the combination of a barrel provided in its breech with an anvil, a ballholding pocket in front of said anvil, and a ball-insertion opening adjacent to said pocket, means at the breech for exploding a cap against the anvil, and a swinging cover extending over said opening to close it when the parts of the gun are in condition for firing, and retained against removal from such closing position while the parts are in said c0ndition, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a toy gun, the combination of a barrel provided in its breech with an anvil, a ballholding pocket in front of said anvil and a ball-insertion opening adjacent to said pocket, a hammer and trigger at the breech for exploding a cap against the anvil, and a movable cover for said opening in the path, when open, of said hammer, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a toy gun, the combination of a barrel provided in its breech with an anvil, a ballholding pocket in front of said anvil and a ballinsertion opening adjacent to said pocket, a hammer and trigger at the breech for exploding a cap against the anvil, and a swinging cover for said opening in the path, when open, of the said hammer, and movable, in opening, against the hammer to cock the same, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

a. In a toy gun, the combination of a barrel provided in its breech with a ball-holding pocket, a ball-insertion opening adjacent to said pocket and a cap-insertion opening, an anvil in the breech between the. said pocket and cap-insertion opening, a cap-exploding LOO IIO

plunger in the breech in rear of said anvil, a breech-casing in which the barrel is mounted, means in said casing for actuating the plunger to explode a cap inserted against the anvil, a breech-housing pivotally connected with the breech-casing to open and close the said ballinsertion opening.

5. In a toy gun, the combination with a barrel provided in its breech with a ball-holding pocket, an anvil and cap-exploding plunger, of a breech-casing in which the barrel is mounted, a hammer and trigger mounted in said breech-casing, a stock, a breech-housing, on the stock, having a hammer-opening, and pivoted to the breech-casing to open and close, whereby in its opening movement it engages said hammer to cock it, substantially as set forth.

6. In a toy gun, the combination of a barrelbreech casing, a shaft in said breech-casing, a trigger on said shaft, a hammer pivoted in said breech-casing, having a backward-extending spring engaging the arm 2, a breech-housing pivotally connected with the breech-casing to swing from operative position into the folded position parallel with said breech-casing, a hammer-spring m in said breech-housing, and a stop 00 for said spring, all constructed to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7 In a toy gun, the combination of a barrel provided in its breech with a ball-holding pocket, an anvil, a cap-exploding plunger, and a ball-insertion opening, a breech-casing in which the barrel is mounted, means in the breech-casing for actuating the plunger to explode an inserted cap, a stock, a breech-housing on the stock pivotally connected With said breech-casing, and a guard projection on the breech-housing operating to open and close the ball-insertion opening, substantially as set forth.

8. In a toy gun, the combination of abarrel, a breech-casing for the barrel, a shaft in said breech casing, a trigger mounted on said shaft, a stock, and a breech-housing 0n the stock pivoted upon said shaft, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

- JOHN B. MASON.

In presence of- ALBERT D. BAooI, WM. B. DAVIES. 

